The Teaching-Research Nexus (TRN)

About this Project

A resource for academics and university leaders

In what ways are teaching, learning and research linked for mutual benefit in higher education?

How do students benefit from the research character of universities?

Can the relationships between research, teaching and student learning be strengthened?

This website is an outcome of a project that has explored these questions. It examines the complexity of the teaching-research nexus in contemporary higher education and the possible ways in which research and teaching can be linked for the enhancement of student learning. The website is a resource for all academics and university staff, including those with leadership roles in teaching and learning, who wish to achieve better connections between teaching and research. Teaching-research linkages manifest differently across disciplines, year levels and teaching and learning contexts. We provide examples of good practice in Australian universities.

We invite academics and teaching and learning leaders to consider strengthening teaching and research links as a means of enhancing student learning outcomes. A section on the benefits for students explains the range of possibilities.

The sections for academics ( TRN in the Curriculum) and for those with leadership roles in teaching and learning ( TRN in Policy) provide distinct strategies for the implementation and support of the TRN for both of these groups. Performance indicators and a self-review framework have also been developed during the project to stimulate thought and evaluation around the issue of the TRN. There are separate versions of the self-review framework tailored for academics, faculty and department heads, and institutional policy-makers. To access these materials please click here.